Improvement in cutting apparatus for harvesters



J. L. ABELL.

CUTTING APPARATUS-FOR HARVESTERS.

Patented Nov. 29; 1870.

u. PETERS. Pmwuw mr. Wilhlnghn. 0.1:.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSHUA L. ABELL, on OUMMINGTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN'CUTTING APPARATUS FOR HARVESTERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 109,569, dated November 29, 1870; antedated November 12, 1870.

I, JOSHUA L. ABELL, of Cur 21min gton, Hampshire county, Commonwealth of Massachusetts,- have invented a certain Improvement in Reapers and Mowers, of which the following is a specification i p Nature and Objects of the Invention.

My invention relates to the manner of forming the connecting-link, so that the wear at both ends upon their axes is taken up by the elasticity of a strong rubber band, which, together with the resistance of the grain being out, holds the cutter-bar with rivet and intermediate connection close against the rivet on the finger-bar, and both rivets in consequence against their bearm gs.

Description of the Accompanying Drawing.

Figure I is a plan view of a machine embodyin g my invention. Fig-II is a view showing the sickle-bar in a different position from Fig. I. Fig. III is a view of the pieces connecting sickle-bar and finger-bar.

General Description. A is the finger-bar of a reaper or mowing machine, having a smooth flat surface for the sicklebar B to travel on. The bar B is attached at its heel to a ball-socket, D, in the end of the pitman T, which is attached at its other end by a ball-socket, S, to the pulley or crank L, the ball-sockets in the ends of the pitman permitting the lateral play of the sicklebar B. The connections V are pivoted to the finger-bar at points that will cause the cuttingedges of the knives to pass through the fingers.

As many of the links V may be used as may be found necessary for strength, and between each two I place a guide, M, to hold the bar Bin place. I

In the shear motion obtained by vibrating knives with their edges at an angle with the edges of the fingers, through the fingers, there is always a tendency to push the stalks of the grain or grass away from the knives, and the knives have to be kept very sharp to be effective, while the action of my draw-shear motion is to hold the stalks against the edges of the fin g'err while the sickles are drawn along and through them. The slots in the fingers do not become filled up, so as to interfere with the movement of the knives, for the same reason.

The finger-bar B may be hinged to the main frame, so as to enable it to be lifted.

I formmy connections V of pieces of metal to, having concave ends I) b, and which, with caps or washers d d, are secured to the Screws 0 on the finger-bar and f on the sickle-bar, the concave ends b b acting as bearings for the screws 6 and f, as in Fig. III,'and it is better to have the piece a and screws 6 and f of different metal, so that the wear will be less.

\Vhat I claim is The connecting-pieces V, formed of parts a, caps d d, and rubber bands, constructed'as de scribed.

JOSHUA L. ABELL. Witnesses B. F. HYDE, B. O. ENGLISH. 

